A Single Red Rose
by Erin Reya
Summary: Many Salamandastron fighters are lost. Their close, loved ones pay respect in their own ways.


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Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall, of course. Any mentioned places belong to the brilliant Brian Jacques. Characters are MINE. *hugs characters*

Okay, like.. this is pretty pointless, so cut me some slack--'cause I know. This takes place at Salamandastron, and features a haremaid named Eula. She had just returned from spending awhile at Redwall. I thought Salamandastron hares must have a ritual they perform for their lost fighters. So.. I made one up.

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A soft, small paw skimmed gently along a patch of lush green earth. The paw belonged to a young haremaid with a frown upon her face. Eula, for that was indeed her name, sat, with disregard of her surroundings, on the ground, the hem of her cloak spread out behind her form.

  
Her striking violet eyes looked flat on, unseeingly at a piece of raised, refined stone before her. It was a grave she sat upon, a tombstone she looked upon. It had been quite awhile now, but she could remember so vividly. 

  
Unwillingly, the scenes of that far past afternoon coursed through her mind's eye. The vermin that swarmed the side of the mountain, and the brave group of hares who fought them off on the cliffside. The cliffside.. so very far up. A drop would kill. It did kill.

  
She shook her head, blinking her eyes as she forced herself back into the present. She felt hot tears springing up in her throat. Tears of both anger and sadness, but she stubbornly fought them back.

  
She'd spent so much time at Redwall, and she knew in her heart it was to escape the memories that lingered at the shoreline. How foolish of her. She'd ran away. Nate would never have run away. But now she was back, and yet again letting emotions rule her judgment. No, she did not come here to weep over a lost sibling. She'd come to pay respects to a brave warrior.

  
Taking a deep breath, she got on her knees and closed her eyes as she lowered her head. Before she could do anymore, she felt someone sit beside her. She needn't look to know who it was. Without opening her eyes, she held a paw out to her side, and felt it taken and held tightly- somehow securely.

  
She swallowed, willing herself to remember the verse. She'd never recited it herself, but she had certainly heard it many times over. But as her luck would have it, the words all but escaped her in her nervousness. Yet, she soon heard the smooth, feminine voice begin the ritual poem next to her.

"_In your oath you were sworn,  
But in your will you were free."  
_

The words soon flooded back to the young haremaid, and she immediately joined in for the rest of the verse._  
_

"Given to others,  
As you've given to me.  
A life, which was taken  
Not taken in vain.  
You gave everything  
So we'd not be in pain.  
So be at rest comrade,  
Sleep long and well  
And here we remain for you  
To stay and to tell."  


There was a long pause, like a respective silence. So much could be said without a word. That really was true. As she let the words sink in, let the meaning of what she was trying to express soak through, she felt some kind of weight lifted from her. It was like letting go. These rituals were so important.   


After a few moments, she flicked her eyes back open and turned her gaze to the one sitting next to her. It was an older haremaid with light orange eyes and a rather rebellious looking exterior.  


About the haremaid's neck was a thin twine on which hung a long, sharp pike tooth. On either wrist was a black, spiked bracelet. Even after taking this in, no one could deny how very beautiful the maid was.  


The younger haremaid smiled, tears easily visible in her eyes. But they were not the same tears that had come from her former anger. Still, not a word was spoken between the two.  


She looked away, back at the tombstone. Laying just beside the tombstone was a small, yet deep, empty cup. Reaching to her side, she took up a bundle of flowers. They were all white roses. Roses had always been a symbol of love. White roses were set for love dead or forsaken.  


She set the roses into the cup, and fluffed them out. There was a hesitation there. Then slowly she pulled the dagger out from her sheath. It was clear, in this one movement, how much she had grown since she'd gone to Redwall. Before she left, she was as unfamiliar with a blade in her paw as a fish would be in a forest.  


She held the blade in her opposite palm and paused again. Then her expression blank, without a wince, she quickly nicked herself and formed a small, shallow cut in her paw. Replacing her dagger, she removed one of the flowers she had set, and held the stem in her cut palm.  


"_All of yours you shed  
And but a drop of mine I give  
Beyond the gates we all shall go  
And forever we shall live."  
_

Gripping the rose for a minute longer, she slowly slid it back into the cup, and it blended and mingled back into the group. Taking a deep breath, as if it were her first take of fresh air in a long time, she slowly stood.  


She turned her gaze back to the haremaid who was still sitting. She ruffled her cloak a little and nodded. "See you, Glori." She turned and left without another word.  


Which left, namely, Glori sitting alone. The haremaid did just as Eula did moments before. Taking a dagger from her side, she formed a cut in her paw.  


What Eula hadn't seen, was Glori had a flower as well. Now Glori took it up and held it in her cut paw. It was another rose. But this was a red rose. Holding the rose to her nose for a moment to sniff it, she said the same small rhyme the younger maid had said.  


When she finished, she placed the red rose among the bouquet of white. She smiled, her orange eyes shining with the same tears. "Forever.. we'll live together."  


Among the roses for the forsaken sat one different. The red rose had always been proclaimed the ultimate symbol of love. Love triumphant and perfect.  


A single red rose.

*****

A/N~ Okay, I'm not insisting that you review this one, because I'm not really looking for criticism. But if you liked it, then SURE you can tell me, lol. I love feeling good about myself. ^^


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